The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-25
A PHANTOM OR A JOKE?

Mrs. Nick de Sille gave The other Day
Ii personally you do not know that
handsome widow, she cannot have
escaped your eye at opera or theatre,
apt us she is to be the guardian OF u
covey OF chatterers, who range from
the beauty raved about ten years ago
to the latest infant phenomenon OF
the private dancing classes. She is
sought for her own sake quteas much
rs for her surroundings by all men
who love womanliness unaffected and
unspoiled.
Standing near her as she received
the last Corners and babe farewell TO
the earliest of the birds OF flight, we
had time to exchange n few notes on
the scene before us.
"What am Ito do?" she was saying.
"The men nowadays won't talk to a
woman uni IS it is tete-a-tete. Oh.
serve how cross that youth looks
when Tommy Moore comes up and
Joins in the conversation. Isn't 1t
ridiculous? He will edge away in n
moment, looking supremacy lofty and
disguised"
Perhaps" answered, chat comes
from the fact that women nowadays
don't know how to entertain several
men at once"
ooh, OF coursel Always the fault OF
us poor women"
mo; | mean no gibe, and it may be
mutual. Conversation such as it must
have been sixty years ago does not
exist any more. myself know some
who inherit the traditions ofthepast."
"Thank you kindly"-she dropped
me II curtsey.
"But seriously, the women will not
take the trouble. Look therel Miss
Ralston is considered very clever
girl--in Philadelpbia-yet she deliber.
ately turns her back on two men md
talks pointedly to Harry Hunter. We
know She does not care a straw for Har'
ry Hunter. Long ago he deserted her
for the younger and richer girls more
in vogue than she, and yet in her con-
tracted world the cotillion leader is
king. We've both heard her opinion
OF him. Don't you remember? 1t was
as il he were n chicken impaled on n
fork, and with each slice OF the knife
one virtue after another fell away
wing, breast, leg, merry-thonght and
all--unti the poor boy was brandish'
ed, as il were, q wretched carcass be-
tore our faces"
"Uml The smile OF chef Try
something more poetical the next
time"
"There is improvement in some
things" l continued, "notwith'
standing the dearth oil con
versation; dress, for instance. Wom
en- nowadays do not all consider them
selves bound to dress alike. That be
Ing so, there Is hope that here and
chere u women may study her pecul
iarities and adapt her garments &c
herself, and not to the modiste's lay
figure. There is that delightful cos
tune OF the First Empire, for instance
which our grandmothers wore"
Mrs. de Sille gave a skeptical smile
"If it's the indecency you like, Tn
sure there are dresses to-day thai
ought to satisfy you"
"But it is not the indecency like
for see none i'm i'll Dress and ne
dress are conventions. For Heavens
sake let us have our conventions beau
tifull"
al forgive YOU" said the hostess
turning to some departing guests
"'For arts sake is n good cry anc
will 90 far-if it is not used for
cloak to baseness."
The long picture room where tn
dance went ~ was hung with painting
that represented q deep purse rather
than a wide knowledge OF art; bu
there was half dozen pictures out o
the hundred that one might live with
Could one say that, | unused, oil tn
people who gabbled shuilled and twad
died below them. without ever castln
them a glance? Perhaps the allusiol
TO the dress OF the First Empire mad
me alert to see what would not hav
noted otherwise. But there acros
the heads OF the social dervishes Wit
wnirled in blind obedience to the lay
OF circular motion implanted in som
animals and all men, there, behin'
the palms on the deep gallery at tn
end OF the room, sat a lady IN com
/ niato Eu,pire dress. Oddly enOugl
she was alone. The palm partially
concealed her hand, and a ian OF TN
} kind that Venice fabricated in tn
last century with consummate tast
efectuallv hid her face. / started